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Amazon Kindle Feedback with PDFs?? — Parallax Forums

Amazon Kindle Feedback with PDFs??

WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
edited 2010-10-11 08:21 in General Discussion
Anyone have or know of someone with an Amazon Kindle that uses it to view technical PDFs (like datasheets)? I am looking for feedback as I am considering purchasing the Wi-Fi Only version for $139 for a PDF tool at work.

thanks in advance!

Comments

  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-10-08 11:03
    Basically there are two alternatives when it comes to reading PDF files - Adobe software and generic software.

    Apple is the one that shut out Adobe. I really don't know about Kindle, but I use a netbook specifically because most of my reading is PDFs and I am not really into reading recreation-ally on a screen. In the past I tried E-Books for a Palm PDA and then I tried E-books on the netbook.

    Neither appealed to me, but I certainly don't want to print out something like a copy of the Propeller Manual when it may undergo a revision soon after I print and bound a copy. That is the case with most computer documentation - it is a waste of trees to print out published material that is somewhat evolving. And often the printouts remove color, which is quite a useful tool.

    It would seem that Google would easily tell you in Kindle supports Adobe's PDF reader.
  • David BDavid B Posts: 592
    edited 2010-10-08 11:26
    It works, but not particularly well.

    I just brought up the Propeller manual from the Parallax website on my browser, and at the same time, brought up the manual on my Kindle. The text is perfectly readeable, even though it doesn't fit the screen particularly well. The table of contents, for example, looks like

    NEG.........................
    ..............................320
    NEGC......................
    ..........................321

    and so on; readeable but ugly.

    The worst part is that many of the diagrams are simply missing. The 40 pin and 44 pin package pinout diagram, the cog "Block Diagram" and the "Hardware Connections" diagrams are just not there in the Kindle version of the Prop manual PDF.

    Then I pulled up a Sandisk SD product manual. It's actually pretty good, and does contain some diagrams that converted very nicely into Kindle format.

    So I would say that PDFs on the Kindle are generally useable but not great.
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2010-10-08 11:41
    I have had my third generation Kindle DX for over a week now, and I really like this thing. As I noted in my thread, the Kindle has no problem what so ever handling the PDF documents. All you have to do is load the PDF doc to the Kindle, open the PDF doc, and you are ready to go. Since this is not an Adobe reader, you do not get the stuff that you would normally expect with an Adobe reader. What you can do is change the screen to: fit-to-screen, 150%, 200%, 300%, actual size. If you change the screen to lets say 150%, you will get a scroll bar which you will have to use to read the whole line of text. Since I have a DX, I just rotate to the landscape position, and the scroll bar disappears to see the full line of text.

    The Kindle has some features like high-lighting text, and making notes. But, that only works on Kindle format stuff. You can have personal PDF documents converted to Kindle format documents, which then you can use the high-lighting, and note making features.

    I almost bought an Apple iPad, but I am so glad that I did not make that mistake. As far as I am concerned, this is the best reader out there.

    Ray
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2010-10-08 11:53
    My Dell Streak tablet runs Android, and doesn't have any problems with PDFs, including the Propeller Manual. There is also a version of Kindle for it, which worked very well when I tried it with one of the free Kindle books that Amazon has made available. It has several advantages over the iPad.
  • David BDavid B Posts: 592
    edited 2010-10-08 12:00
    My Kindle is an older 2nd generation. It sounds like the DX version has some major improvements!
  • John AbshierJohn Abshier Posts: 1,116
    edited 2010-10-08 15:06
    I have the new 139 dollar Kindel. Copying the PDF to the Kindle works with a caveat. If you do a fit to screen, the text may be smaller than you like. If you select larger text, you have to pan to see the entire page. You can email the PDF to Amazon to be converted into a Kindle format. My limited experience is that formulas (expecially with sub/superscripts) and tables don't convert well. I think the DX is a better buy for PDF's, but costs over twice as much.

    John Abshier
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2010-10-08 16:03
    My intentions, at first, were to buy the smaller Kindle. I kept thinking about how the PDF files would appear on a smaller screen, so I decided to go with the DX. On the DX, the screen is a 9" diagonal, but it measures up to 8" x 5.5". If I were planning to just read novels, and non-technical stuff, then I would have probably gone with a smaller Kindle.

    The one thing that you do not get with the DX model is Wi-Fi, it comes with free G3, which I keep turned off to save on battery life. I only use it when I am to lazy to connect up to the computer to transfer some books. I just bought a book via the Kindle, and it was a very smooth operation. It took just a couple of seconds, and the book was on my Kindle.

    Ray
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-10-09 04:42
    Hmmm.....
    It seems that the Kindle has some of the presentation problems with Adobe that the older Palm PDA software has had.

    Plain and simple.... I gave up on it and went to a Netbook. Even the tiny EEEpc 7" screen had better full page presentation of graphic elements that electronic documents are so dependent upon.

    What appears to have happened is that Adobe did indeed attempt to produce a 'fork' in there code specifically for small platforms, but development pretty much stalled as no one is really paying for the development. If Kindle does use that 'fork', you may never get the kind of clean PDF presentation that you expect from Adobe.

    What apparently happens is the small screen software divides the data between 'text' and 'graphic elements'. And then, you have to click on and zoom in on graphic elements in order to see them. Normal Adobe just gives you everything as the document should be.

    The results are very choppy as the original text has the reader able to glance at diagrams as they read, but on this form of software, that visual information is not immediately available AND the text is condensed into something that is less than appealing to read.

    Still, there are some publisher (but not many) that are thoughtfully creating documents that do work in the 'small platform version'. The majority cannot afford to keep up with alternative.

    In sum, 'thumbs down' to anything that doesn't provide a 'mainstream' version of Adobe reader on its platform. The alternative software is a deception and makes the hardware a complete waste of money for PDF documents.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2010-10-09 04:55
    That got me wondering about the PDF reader supplied with Android; it is apparently a version created by Adobe which explains why it works so well, and is part of the QuickOffice application. The only problem is that it's rather slow when paging through a document.
  • RsadeikaRsadeika Posts: 3,837
    edited 2010-10-09 06:55
    "Hmmm.....
    It seems that the Kindle has some of the presentation problems with Adobe that the older Palm PDA software has had."

    Loopy, what version of the Kindle do you have? I started my Kindle up this morning, thinking that I overlooked something, and to my amazement my Kindle does not have any "presentation problems". If your unit is still under warranty, maybe you should send it back.

    To reiterate again, the PDF file(s) displays without any problems, on my unit. Maybe Loopy knows something about my Kindle, that I do not. Spill the beans Loopy.

    Ray
  • wjsteelewjsteele Posts: 697
    edited 2010-10-09 11:37
    The new 3rd Gen Kindles (finally) have a good PDF viewer. The older units had an a horible one, along with the web browser.

    Bill
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
    edited 2010-10-09 22:15
    Thanks to everyone for the excellent feedback. It really sounds like I could go with on of the $139 Kindles, but I should maybe see if I can try to view some sample PDFs on one.

    On a side note, I do have Acrobat 9 Pro, so as long as PDFs are not locked for dis-assembly, I can tweak "ugly" PDFs so they view better on a kindle.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-10-11 08:21
    For clarity's sake....
    I don't own a Kindle, I have a Palm Zire 72. I was merely commenting that it might be that software similar to the Palm might be on it. The Palm would download PDF's, but it was never feasible to read them.

    I doubt if I will ever own a Kindle as I live in Taiwan.
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